Women make up the majority of registered voters in North Carolina but are woefully underrepresented in political office, according to a new report from Meredith College. The report, called “The Status of Women in North Carolina Politics,” was released Monday, along with poll results showing Hillary Clinton might find resistance among the state’s voters in a presidential race.The study gives a detailed accounting of women in elected office in the state. Among the findings:▪ Women account for 54 percent of registered voters but hold less than one-quarter of all appointed and elected offices.▪ In 44 North Carolina counties, there are no female county commissioners...The results also show that women have actually lost ground in their representation since the 2010 midterm election. read article

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.), shown in November, said “I think women, in general, across the country will tell you that a lot of them manage their own checkbooks and make decisions about their families. And that’s what women do here in the United States Senate now.” Melina Mara/The Washington Post

After decades of trying to amass power, several women have vaulted to the top of influential congressional committees, putting them in charge of some of the most consequential legislation being considered on Capitol Hill. The $1.1 trillion spending plan Congress approved this week was the handiwork of Senate Appropriations Com­mittee Chairman Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and her House counterpart, Harold Rogers (R-Ky.). In December, when lawmakers approved a budget deal with big majorities in both chambers, credit went to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). read more

Yellen, 67, brings a gold-plated résumé to the high-stakes, high-pressure job, which she will begin Feb. 1. She has had a long career as an economist, with a stint as chairwoman of Council of Economic Advisers under President Bill Clinton and in various Fed jobs, including her current post as vice chairwoman.But that Yellen would get the chairmanship was not a sure thing. ...The outpouring of support that Yellen’s nomination drew from women’s advocacy groups and female politicians coincided with the increasing pressure Obama had come under to appoint more women to his Cabinet and top administration positions. ...Women see Yellen’s appointment as a sign that the country is inching toward leveling out the gender inequality in government, Emily’s List President Stephanie Schriock said in an interview. “There is just total excitement around this nomination and her appointment,” Schriock said. “It is inspiring to young women across the country when we see women in roles like the Fed chair — just like when we see women CEOs, women senators, women governors – ultimately a woman president.” read article

Representative Alma Adams, a freshman Democrat from North Carolina, set a record the moment she took the oath of office. After winning election in November, she was sworn in immediately to fill a vacant seat, and for the first time in history, there were 100 women in Congress. read article

Today we commemorate President George Washington’s Birthday...I propose we celebrate something different this year. So much has changed since George Washington’s day, but we still have only had male presidents. America’s strength lies in its diversity. This Presidents’ Day, let’s take some time to celebrate what a female president would bring to the table. read the list

Kay Hagan just wanted to swim. It was late 2008, and the Democrat was newly arrived on Capitol Hill as North Carolina’s junior senator-elect. But Hagan was told that the Senate pool was males-only. Why? Because some of the male senators liked to swim naked. It took an intervention by Senator Chuck Schumer, head of the Rules Committee, to put a stop to the practice, but even then “it was a fight,” remembers pollster Celinda Lake, who heard about the incident when the pool revolt was the talk among Washington women...In the entire history of the United States Senate, a mere 44 women have served. Ever. Those few who have were elected to a club they were never meant to join, and their history in the chamber is marked by sexism both spectacular and small.read story

North Carolina's Alma Adams was elected to Congress, making her the 100th woman to hold a seat in the House of Representatives. There have never before been so many women in Congress at one time, though women are still outnumbered 1-to-4 by men. Nevertheless, it's a major milestone that Adams was proud to conquer. "My friends, we did it," Adams announced as she took the stage after her win. "And ain't no stopping us now." read post

Slideshow:Women to Watch in 2014(esp. # 7 and 21)BY JOHNNY SIMON AND MARIA LOKKEJan. 2014 MSNBCThe first real test of the political winds of 2014 will have a Democratic woman, Alex Sink, running in a special election for a House seat in Florida. From there, some of 2014’s most pivotal races will have women at the center... Two of the most vulnerable incumbents in the same chamber, Mary Landrieu and Kay Hagan, are also women... see slideshow

On November 5th, 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress ...in 2004 she said about her legacy, "I want history to remember me not just as the first black woman to be elected to Congress, not as the first black woman to have made a bid for the presidency of the United States, but as a black woman who lived in the 20th century and dared to be herself." Huffington Post, Nov. 5, 2013

Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) said on Wednesday afternoon that their female colleagues can take most of the credit for driving the compromise that is expected to temporarily reopen the U.S. government and raise the debt ceiling before Thursday's deadline.

"Leadership, I must fully admit, was provided primarily from women in the Senate," McCain said after the bipartisan deal was announced. Pryor said that people sometimes like to joke about women in leadership, but he is a huge fan of his female colleagues after watching them negotiate. "The truth is, women in the Senate is a good thing," he said. "We're all just glad they allowed us to tag along so we could see how it's done." read article/watch video

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEPTEMBER 26, 2013--Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democrat who filibustered an abortion law for nearly 13 hours, is running for governor, two people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Thursday. read article

Hillary Clinton's self-imposed absence from the country's political discourse ended Monday when the former secretary of state issued biting criticism of Republican-backed voter ID laws during a speech to a group of lawyers...The speeches will likely fuel speculation that Clinton is planning to jump into the race for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, where she is considered an early favorite.In her remarks in San Francisco Monday, Clinton took aim at policies she said were unfairly limiting access to polls for minority voters, and said June's Supreme Court decision gutting the federal Voting Rights Act was a grave mistake...A law signed by North Carolina's Republican governor Monday amounted to the "greatest hits of voter suppression," Clinton argued. The measure, which goes into effect for the 2016 elections, includes a requirement that voters present a valid government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot. read article

Mar 26, 2013 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday chose veteran agent Julia Pierson as Secret Service director, the first woman to lead the male-dominated agency, a year after its reputation was tarnished by a scandal involving agents and prostitutes in Colombia. Pierson will replace Mark Sullivan, who retired in February and was in charge during the Colombia scandal - one of the worst in the agency's history.The Secret Service has been criticized for having an insular, male-dominated culture, and Pierson's appointment also comes as Obama fends off criticism that his second-term picks for high-level posts have not included enough women and minority candidates. read article

January 31, 2013Then there is human rights and our support for democracy and the rule of law. Levers of power and values we cannot afford to ignore. In the last century the United States led the world in recognizing that universal rights exist and that governments are obligated to protect them. Now we have placed ourselves at the front lines of today's emerging battles, like the fight to defend the human rights of the LGBT communities around the world and religious minorities, wherever and whoever they are.

But it's not a coincidence that virtually every country that threatens regional and global peace is a place where human rights are in peril or the rule of law is weak -- more specifically, places where women and girls are treated as second-class, marginal human beings. Just ask young Malala from Pakistan. Ask the women of northern Mali who live in fear and can no longer go to school. Ask the women of the eastern Congo who endure rape as a weapon of war.

And that is the final lever that I want to highlight briefly because the jury is in; the evidence is absolutely indisputable. If women and girls everywhere were treated as equal to men in rights, dignity and opportunity, we would see political and economic progress everywhere.

So this is not only a moral issue -- which of course it is -- it is an economic issue and a security issue, and it is the unfinished business of the 21st century. It therefore must be central to U.S. foreign policy. One of the first things I did as secretary was to elevate the Office of Global Women's Issues under the first ambassador at large, Melanne Verveer. And I'm very pleased that yesterday the president signed a memorandum making that office permanent.

In the past four years we've made a -- (applause) -- thank you -- (chuckles) -- in the past four we made a major push at the United Nations to integrate women in peace and security building worldwide. And we've seen successes in places like Liberia. We've urged leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya to recognize women as equal citizens with important contributions to make. We are supporting women entrepreneurs who are creating jobs and driving growth.

So technology, development, human rights, women -- now, I know that a lot of pundits hear that list, and they say, isn't that all a bit soft? What about the hard stuff?

Well, that is a false choice. We need both, and no one should think otherwise. I will be the first to stand up and proclaim loudly and clearly that America's military might is and must remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. I will also make very clear, as I have done over the last years, that our diplomatic power, the ability to convene our moral suasion, is effective because the United States can back up our words with actions. We will ensure freedom of navigation in all the world's seas. We will relentlessly go after al-Qaida, its affiliates and its wannabes. We will do what is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

There are limits to what soft power on its own can achieve. And there are limits to what hard power on its own can achieve. That's why from day one I've been talking about smart power.

Lillian’s List of NC is a statewide community of individuals who work to recruit, train, promote and support pro-choice Democratic women running for public office in North Carolina. We are modeled after EMILY’s List and provide financial, strategic, and political support to women serving in the state legislature and the Council of State. We also strategically recruit new candidates committed to reproductive freedom and equality for women.

Dr. Greg Brannon begins his campaign for the U.S. Senate with a two-day tour of eight cities Feb. 27. Brannon, a Cary obstetrician who opposes abortion rights, hopes to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan next year. But there will likely be a tussle for the GOP nomination since every Republican and her brother is thinking about running for that seat. read article

04/10/2013, Huffington PostSheryl Sandberg is right -- we don't have enough women leaders.And she's right that it's a classic chicken and egg problem. Are women held back by external roadblocks like unequal pay and workplace sexism? Or are they opting out because of internal roadblocks like the assumption they're not qualified, and concern for family?That's the debate that's raging -- and it's missing a critical angle. No matter what the original cause of the problem is, getting more women to run for political office is a big part of the solution. That's why for the past 28 years, EMILY's List has asked women to "lean in" and run.We solve the external roadblocks by recruiting, training, and supporting women candidates up and down the ballot. Then, from office, they fight for policies that benefit women and families, helping even more women "lean in." And when women and girls see other women lead -- and lead successfully -- that tackles the internal roadblocks too, especially as the number of women leaders grows....So we need to get more women to run, even though there are still roadblocks that stop them. For starters, lots of women think they just don't have what it takes. According to Lawless, a survey of several thousand potential political candidates revealed that the men were about 60 percent more likely to think they were "very qualified" to run for political office, even though they had similar credentials....

So let's get even more women to "lean in" and run. Let's elect mayors, senators, governors, and yes, presidents, who will fight for our families, and create a nation where women's leadership isn't the exception, it's the rule.read more at

Hillary Clinton is likely to be the next Democratic presidential nominee because she is the best-known active Democratic politician, because she has repeatedly triumphed over adversity, because she has made herself well-liked at a time that politicians are typically viewed with contempt. read article

just some inspiration...

Durham's Newly Elected Democratic Women!

Brenda Howerton
County Commisioner

Ellen Reckhow,
County Commisioner

Wendy Jacobs,
County
Commissioner

Valerie Foushee,
NC House District 50

Danielle Adams,
Soil and Water Supervisor

State Of North CarolinaClick on Lillian's List, right, to view NC Women from this election, along with information on our remaining challenges.

Across the Country: Victories For WomenClick below on names for articles, and on photos to view a video, on each of these inspiring women.